La Jolla/San Diego Cosmetic Surgery Procedures

If you often wish that your breast were larger, fuller or more shapely, breast aumentation surgery may be the right choice for you. Breast augmentation is a cosmetic procedure that uses implants to enlarge and shape the breasts. Your new look with bring you greater freedom with fashion and may give your self image a boost as well.

Whether this will be your first breast augmentation, and you know you want to start with large breast implants, or if you currently have implants and want to consider big breast implants, Dr. Pousti can advise you about various implants sizes from 625 cc to 1000 cc and every size in between.

Dr. Pousti was involved with two studies for Mentor Silicone Implants and Inamed Silicone Implants. These studies were in place to give the FDA the additional data they require before they approved silicone breast implants for general use. The FDA has now approved these silicone gel implants for breast augmentation surgery for patients older than 22 years of age.

Breast reduction is designed to improve the appearance and symptoms of overly large breasts by reducing their size and reshaping them. The surgery is specifically designed to relieve symptoms of pain and discomfort in the breasts,shoulders, neck and upper back.

New developments in breast reduction surgery include the limited incision techniques, including the LeJour technique and the use of liposculpture for artistic shaping of the breast.

Over the years, factors such as pregnancy, nursing and the force of gravity take their toll on a woman’s breasts. As the skin loses its elasticity, the breasts often lose their shape and firmness and begin to sag.

Breast lift, or mastopexy, is a surgical procedure to raise and reshape sagging breasts-at least, for a time. (No surgery can permanently delay the effects of gravity.) Mastopexy can also reduce the size of the areola, the darker skin surrounding the nipple. If your breasts are small or have lost volume – for example, after pregnancy- breast implants inserted in conjunction with mastopexy can increase both their firmness and their size.

In today’s world, looking and feeling good mean having a fit, well-proportioned body. However, for many people, this may seem like an unreachable goal. Sometimes even a strict diet or a disciplined exercise program can’t conquer stubborn areas of excess fat. For those who seek a smoother or better-proportioned body contour, liposuction may be the answer.

Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes deposits of excess fat from specific areas of the body, face or neck. Liposuction can be used to slim the hips and thighs, flatten the abdomen, shape the calves and ankles or eliminate a double chin.

A flat stomach is important to a physically fit appearance. However, a healthy diet and regular workouts sometimes don’t help eliminiate excess fat and loose, sagging skin in the abdominal area. If you are bothered by these appearance problems, abdominoplasty (also called tummy tuck) may be a good choice for you.

Abdominoplasty is designed to firm and smooth the abdomen. This cosmetic procedure removes excess skin and fat from the abdomen and may also tighten the muscles of the abdominal wall. The result is a flatter, tighter abdominal profile.

Many patients undergo massive weight loss but are left with loose and saggy skin as well as stretched out and separated abdominal muscles. Body lifting after massive weight loss surgery gives the patient the body they are seeking.

What is an attractive nose? Quite simply, it is a nose that fits your face. It is a natural-looking nose that achieves a harmonious balance with your other facial features. If you feel that your nose is not a good fit, you may benefit from cosmetic surgery of the nose, also called rhinoplasty. Rhinoplasty can enhance the shape, size and general appearance of your nose.

Some of the most visible signs of aging first appear on the face. Although the changes appear gradually, there may come a day when you look in the mirror and decide that the face you see doesn’t reflect the way you feel about yourself. If you’d like to look as good as you feel about yourself, a face lift can help. Also known as rhytidectomy, a face lift smooths the loose skin on your face and neck, tightens underlying tissues and removes excess fat. As a result, your face will appear firmer and fresher.

Ear surgery, or otoplasty, is usually done to set prominent ears back closer to the head or to reduce the size of large ears. For the most part, the operation is done on children between the ages of 4 and 14. Ears are almost fully grown by age 4, and the earlier the surgery, the less teasing and ridicule the child will have to endure. Ear surgery on adults is also common, and there are generally no additional risks associated with ear surgery on an older patient.

More than any other facial feature, your eyes reveal the most about how you feel. When your eyes are bright and alert, you appear energized, well-rested, and in control. However, if you have lower-eyelid puffiness, dark circles or drooping upper lids, others may assure that you are fatigued, angry or unhappy.

If you believe that your eyes are making you look tired, sad, or older than you really feel, cosmetic eyelid surgery (also called blepharoplasty) may be the right choice for you. Eyelid surgery can remove the excess fat and drooping skin of the upper eyelids, minimize bags uner the eyes and tighten the lower eyelid skin. The result is a more alert and rested appearance.

While no one is immune to the effects of aging, a forehead lift, also known as a browlift, can minimize some of the most visible signs-drooping eyebrows, “hooding” over the eyes, forehead furrows and frown lines that come with age.

In a forehead lift, the muscles and skin that cause the problems are removed or altered to smooth the forehead, raise the upper eyelids and minimize frown lines. The result can be a more alert, more animated, more youthful appearance. Recent advances in plastic surgery have made the forehead lift a relatively simple procedure with results that last from five to 10 years or longer. It can be done alone, or in conjunction with other procedures such as facelift, eyelid surgery, or nose reshaping.

Enlarged or hypertrophic labia minora can be functionally or psycho-socially bothersome. Local irritation, problems with personal hygiene, interference with sexual intercourse and discomfort during cycling, walking or sitting are indications for surgical reduction.

Arm tissue relaxes with age, gravity and weight loss. The
drooping of skin is from a stretching of the anchoring system of the arm and loss of supporting fat. Patients are very unhappy with this “loose hammock” appearance.

A thigh lift is done to remove excess skin from the thigh and
buttock area. This sagging skin is usually caused by weight loss. After patients have lost a lot of weight, having this surgery performed is like the “icing on the cake”.

Pectoralis implants can be used to augment the male chest wall. Implants can be used to provide additional projection of the chest wall enhancing the appearance and often times the self image of the patient.

The specifics of the operation vary from patient to patient. During the consultation with the patient, Dr. Pousti discusses the amount of augmentation that the patient desires. The preferred shape of the chest wall is also discussed with the patient. Pectoralis implants have been very successful in allowing the patients to achieve increased fullness in the chest area. This operation may serve to correct a congenital deformity or tear of the pectoralis muscle. With adequate pre-operative preparation, attention to detail intra-operatively, and attentive post-operative care, patient satisfaction after this operation is extremely high.

BOTOX® has been used for years to treat various problems including eye deviation, eyelid spasm as well as facial spasms. When you age, you develop wrinkles and furrows on your face. This may be a result of sun exposure and gravity, or a direct result of facial muscle action of the skin.

BOTOX® Cosmetic relaxes muscle areas where there is too much tension. Therefore, it may be used to treat facial lines caused primarily by the action of muscles on the skin. The ideal areas to treat are the deep creases found between the eyebrows, the crows feet wrinkles, and forehead lines.

Traditional hair removal techniques such as shaving, plucking and waxing, provide only temporary relief and may actually stimulate hair growth. Electrolysis, while effective, often requires years of ongoing and frequently painful treatments. All of these methods commonly result in scarring, allergic reactions, and ingrown hairs. Laser hair removal works by targeting the pigment inside the hair follicle without damaging delicate pores and structures of the skin. Because hair cycles through “growth” and “dormant” phases, and because during the “dormant” phase the follicle has no pigment, at least 2 or 3 treatments will be needed.

If you have a tattoo that you want removed, then laser tattoo removal is for you. The laser works on the ink of the tattoo to get the color out. The laser has different wavelengths that work on multicolored tattoos. It takes 3-6 sessions for tattoos to fade – each tattoo is different.

Each person is unique and the way one person scars may be much different from the way another person may scar. Scar revision is performed after the body has had time to heal itself (usually 1 year or so after the initial trauma). Dr. Pousti will meet you at the initial consultation and let you know if a scar revision would be of benefit to you. Frequently, a scar revision can be performed in our office under local anesthetic, allowing you to go home soon after the procedure.